Street-sweeping machine



. KERN.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19. 1914.

Patented June 17, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m uamto'c un-themes:

ms NORRIS PETERS (20,) 4010 mum. Hmzmm B. KERN.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I9. 1914.

Patented June 17, 1919.

L306 9lL 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. KERN. STREET SWEEPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 19. 19M

1,06,91 1; Patented 11111017, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wane/Awa '45 Nunnls Pu s, co.. PMomLl'rHa, wAsumnmm n. c.

BERNARD KERN, OF SAN'DUSKY, OHIO.

STREET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

Application filed November 19, 1914-.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BERNARD KERN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in street sweeping machines, and has for its object the provision of an improved combined refuse collecting vehicle and separate dust box adapted to be operated as a unit during the sweeping operation, and enabling the dust box to be uncoupled from the collecting vehicle to constitute temporarily a separate vehicle, utilized to convey the material delivered to the dust box to a dump or other plate of deposit remote from the street being cleaned. V

In a street cleaning apparatus it will be obvious that the machinery employed in the actual sweeping or cleaning operation is of a relatively expensive nature and for economic purposes should be capable of use continuously on the street being treated. Where the dust box or receptacle into which the collected matter is finally deposited is an integral or fixed part of the sweeper vehicle, it will be apparent that as soon as the box is filled the cleaning mechanism is rendered useless for the time being and must accompany the dust box in its travel to the dump or place of deposit.

My aim is to materially improve conditions such as above suggested by rendering the dust box separable from the sweeper vehicle and providing the same with suitable wheels to enable its independent 'conveyance away from the sweeper machine,

while permitting another empty dust box to be attached to the sweeper vehicle, so that the latter may continue its expected service.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, the preferred embodiment of my invention, special fea tures of which embrace improved wheeled trucks for the sweeper vehicle and dust box enabling the overlapping or nesting of the wheels of the two trucks to facilitate close coupling,-required in making short turns and reducing the length ofthe combined ap- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Serial No. 873,007.

able to allow for the strains and relativeshifting movements incident to traversing turns or corners; and an improved swivel connection or king bolt for the truck of the dust box designed to cooperate with the parts to which I have just alluded.

The foregoing, as well as many other details. in the construction and arrangement of the various features of my apparatus will be apparent from the specific description hereinafter contained, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and wherein the above mentioned preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear portion of a street sweeper and the forward portion of its detachable dust box with the immediately associated parts, the remaining portions of the sweeper and box not being required to be illustrated herein, it being borne in mind that the sweeper is to be provided with suitable sweeping and collecting means capable of discharging the collected material into the dust box, the said vehicle being provided with a pair of forward wheels for supporting and steering purposes, and the dust box being provided with a pair of rear wheels for supporting purposes, all of which will be obvious;

Fig. 2 is a rear end view showing the dust box attached;

Fig. 3 is a plan View, parts being shown broken away illustrating primarily the yieldable coupling members;

Figs. t and 5 are detail views of the coupling members,

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the king bolt construction, and

Figs.'7 and S are detail views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views, A represents in a general way a street sweeping machine adapted to collect the refuse from a street or road surface and to deposit the same through a suitable conduit B, into adust box C, the conduit being detacha bly connected by means of a band clamp D. The sweeper vehicle is provided with a rear truck of approved style, including the pair of rear wheels E, propelledby a suitably driven chain F; springs Gr bemg interposed between the wheels and the vehicle body to relieve the operating parts of shock incident to the movement of the vehicle. The truck just referred to is mounted upon the extension of the sweeper vehicle frame comprising side beams H, and projecting rearwardly from the said body of the vehicle and outside of the wheel E, is a suitable platform I for one of the attendants of the machine, the same being.

a supported by rearwardly projecting brackets J to locate the platform within the plane of the side of the sweeper body. The axle of the rear truck is represented at K.

L are the forward wheels of the dust box, the axle for said wheels being indicated at M. These wheels L are spaced a distance apart substantially less than the distance between the wheels E of the sweeper so that said wheels L may be introduced into the space between the wheels E to overlap or be nested therewith as clearly shown in Fig. 1, to enable a close coupling of the two parts of the apparatus, it also being observed that the wheels L are disposed between the frame extensions H of the sweeper. N is a metal bolster constituting a part of the truck for the front wheels of thedust box, said bolster being reinforced on its four sides by webs O, and being rigidly secured to the metallic supporting frame P on which the dust box proper rests. The bolster is hollow centrally to provide a cylindrical bore Q for the introduction of a king bolt R, rigidly fastened to the axle M, as at S. The king bolt carries a plunger T bearing against a spring U, the latter-at its opposite ends bearing against an abutment V, through which the bolt freely passes, and is provided with a nut therebeyond, as indicated at WV. This arrangement enables proper turning of the axle M in the bolster and provides a yieldable support for the dust box.

To maintain the trucks of the sweeper and dust box in normal alinement, while furnishing a yieldable connection permitting the axle M and wheels L to turn with the bolt R, as required to adjust the relations of the trucks in turning curves or corners, I provide, at opposite sides of the king bolt, a pair of draw bars which will now be described. A pair of clips 2 are clamped to the axle M, the latter being angular in cross section, at this point, binding bolts 3 insuring against longitudinal slipping of the clips. The clips are provided with forwardly projecting ears 4 having recesses 5 for the aceommodation of'suitable coupling pins 6, said recesses opening-to restricted entrance openings 7, fiared at their upper edges, as at 8, to facilitate the entrance of the couplin pin thereinto. The coupling pin just referred'to is permanently carried by, but freely rotatable in the bifurcated end 9, of bolt 10, said bifurcated end being adapted to receive within the same the apertured ear 4. For that portion thereof within the space between the branches of the bifurcated end 9, the pin 6 is flattened on its opposite sides to reduce the width of the same in one direction, so that when alined with the restricted mouth 8 of the ear, the pin will pass into the aperture 5, and when turned topresent its wider portion opposite the bot-tom of the opening 7 the pin will be prevented from escape. To automatically maintain the pin in its locking position, the same is provided with an offset lever, or weight 11, adapted to ,actunder force of gravity to retain the widest portion of the pin in its horizontal position, as will be clear.

To facilitate the entrance of the ear 1 between the branches of the bifurcated portion.

9, the lower edges of said branches are beveled to flare outwardly in a downward direction, as at 12. The bolt 10 passes through the open end 13, of a coupling link 14, the open end being flared rearwardly to permit relative lateral play of the bolt therein, particularly in an approximately horizontal plane. The end of the bolt 15 is threaded, and a correspondingly threaded nut 16, fitting the openin of the link, is engaged therewith to compress between a washer 17 adjacent to the nut and .a similar washer 18 adjacent'to the open end of the link, a coil spring 19 sleeved upon the bolt. The forward ends of the links 14 are pivotally connected, as at 20, in bifurcated portions 21 of a U-shaped bracket 22, bolted to a cross beam 23 of the frame of the sweeper vehicle and depending therefrom, said bracket being reinforced by a trlangular truss comprising members 24 bolted together and thereto.

Fromthe foregoing construction it willbe' corners of the handles or brackets J are inclined, rounded, or depressed, as at 25.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that by a relatively simple mechanism I have furnished a structure of a strong and efficient character capable of meeting the requirements"presented in 'a combined street sweeper and dust cart or vehicle, constituting an embodiment of my invention.

The compensating coupling means between the dirt box and the sweeper vehicle, I regard as a highly meritorious feature of my invention, in that it permits thebringing of the two vehicles into'the very close coupled relation hereinabove disclosed, while permitting sufficient relative movement between the adjacent wheeled trucks to permit theproper turning of curves, while at the same time said means normally act to maintain the par allel relation of the truck axles when the complete machine is traversing a straight path.

While I have herein disclosed a special embodiment of the invention, it will be un derstood by persons skilled in. the art that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms and devices as may be in keeping with the hereto appended claims.

I will not claim herein the special king bolt and extension spring constructions, inasmuch as these more properly constitute subject matter for a divisional application.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate rear vehicle, trucks therefor, and spaced detachable coupling means therebetween acting normally to maintain them in approximate alinement, said means comprising pivoted laterally yieldable link portions and spring-held bolt portions cooperating with each other, said portions being respectively attached to the forward vehicle and the rear vehicle whereby thespaced coupling means may relatively yield and contract longitudinally and also give laterally in either direction.

2. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate rear vehicle, trucks therefor, and detachable coupling means therebetween comprising a pivoted link member and a spring-held bolt member attached respectively to the forward vehicle and the rear vehicle, the bolt member passing through a tapered portion of the link member to permit relative lateral movement of these parts imder a tendency of one truck to turn relative to the other.

3. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate rear vehicle, trucks therefor, detachable coupling means therebetween comprising a draw bar, a detachable connection for one end of the draw bar comprising a pivot pin coupling adjacent apertured members, the pin being carried by one member and the other member having a restricted opening leading to its aperture, and the pin being relatively narrow in width in one direction to pass through said restricted opening, in combination with automatic means for turning the pin to prevent withdrawal of the same.

4. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate rear vehicle, trucks therefor, detachable coupling means therebetween comprising a draw bar, a detachable connection for one end of the draw bar comprising a pivot pin coupling adjacent apertured members, the pin being carried by one member and the other member having a restricted opening leading to its aperture, and the pin being relatively narrow in width in one direction to pass through said restricted opening, in combination with gravity operated means for turning the pin to prevent withdrawal of the same.

5. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate, rear vehicle, a conduit leading from one vehicle to the other and bridging the space therebetween, trucks for the respective vehicles, and spaced coupling means therebetween acting normally to maintain the vehicles in approximate alinement, said means comprising a pair of link connections each formed to elongate and contract independently of the other, both of said link connections being yieldable laterally to permit turning of the vehicle, but limiting relative angular positioning of the vehicles.

6. The combination with a forward vehicle, of a separate rear vehicle, wheeled trucks therefor including a pivoted axle for the foremost wheels of the rear vehicle, and a fixed axle for the rearmost wheels of the forward vehicle, said axles being so related as to cause said foremost and rearmost wheels to overlap, spaced detachable coupling means between the said trucks acting normally to maintain said axles in parallel relation, said coupling means including links adapted to independently elongate and contract and to yield laterally in turning,

and means for resisting the lateral yielding of the links, tending normally to maintain them in position longitudinally of the vehicles, substantially as described.

.7. The combination with a forward vehicle having a suitable frame and body projecting thereabove, spaced frame extensions extending rearwardly from the end of said body to leave an unobstructed space above said frame extensions, a wheeled truck for said forward vehicle connected to and mounted below said rear frame extensions, a separate rear vehicle having a body part extended forwardly into the space above said frame extensions, a wheeled truck for said rear vehicle located between said rear frame extensions and having the wheels thereof overlapping the wheels of said first mentioned wheeled truck, and spaced detachable coupling means between the wheeled trucks normally tending to maintain the axes of the Wheels in parallelism, said coupling means contract independently of the other and to yield in either direction laterally when turn- BERNARD KERN.

including links each adapted to elongate and ing, means resisting the lateral movement .of the links acting normally to maintain them in position longitudinally of the Vehicles, means for securing one of the Wheeled trucks in fixed position, and means mountnWitnesses A. J. HnNDnroKsoN,

EMMETT MARTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, ,Washington, 11.0. 

